History
In February 2019, the WIAA and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association unveiled a full football-only realignment for Wisconsin's high school athletic conferences. This arrangement was set to begin with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. [1] The Eastern Suburban Conference name, dormant since the all-sport conference was disbanded in 2001, was resurrected for an eight-member conference including Cambridge, Clinton, Dodgeland, Markesan, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo. [2] Six members of the new conference (Cambridge, Dodgeland, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo) were also members of the previous conference's football alignment from 1991 to 2000. The new conference was originally referred to as the Capitol Small in preseason realignment materials, but was renamed before starting play and is part of the Capitol Conference's organizational structure. In 2022, Pardeeville exited the Eastern Suburban to join the Trailways Conference, where they had full affiliation. They were replaced by Horicon/Hustisford, formerly of the Capitol Conference for football. [3] Four schools left the Eastern Suburban Conference for the 2024-2025 cycle: Clinton, Dodgeland, Horicon/Hustisford and Palmyra-Eagle. Two outgoing members joined the Capitol Conference (Clinton and Horicon/Hustisford) and two attained full membership in the Trailways Conference (Dodgeland and Palmyra-Eagle). They were replaced by three schools formerly in the Trailways Conference (Deerfield, Fall River/Rio, Pardeeville and Poynette). [4] For the 2026-2027 cycle, the Trailways Conference is whittling down to seven members, losing Deerfield and Fall River/Rio to the Trailways Conference and welcoming back Horicon/Hustisford from the Capitol Conference. The conference will also enter into a scheduling partnership with the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League where one interconference game that counts in the home conference's standings will be mandatory for each school. [5]
